I'll try my best to find a smile
by brightlightsbrighterdreams
Summary: When new girl Evie Walker walks into Waterloo Road mid way through the term, unwilling to talk about herself and quick to create distance from almost everyone she meets, Rachel Mason knows something is not quite right. A clash with clever sixth former Ros McCain, and an unlikely ally in the form of Kim Campbell, this shows Evie's struggles in her new life at Waterloo Road.
1. The first day

Evie Walker had had more first days than she cared to remember. She was so used to them that she almost didn't feel nervous- there was just a faint flutter in her tummy. She was used to the starched, crisp new uniform, the clean A4 exercise pads and the rattle of new pens, and starting a new school felt as natural as breathing to her now.

She was naturally very pretty, and she only enhanced her good looks with a slight touch of makeup. Her glossy brunette hair tumbled down her back in waves, and she wore black framed glasses or contact lenses depending on her mood. She slung her soft leather bag over her shoulder and inspected herself in the mirror. She hated the fact that Waterloo Road's uniform was a skirt- although she was slender- almost too slender- she hated the way she looked and much preferred to hide her body underneath baggy trousers. Anyone else would have said she looked beautiful, but looking at her legs shown of in tights, she pulled a face and left the room quickly.

Jogging downstairs she gulped down a glass of water and a paracetamol, slipped her feet into her ballet pumps and locked the front door behind her. She didn't want to be late on her first day- if she'd learnt anything from being constantly jiggled around it was that everything was much simpler if she didn't stand out.

She was unsurprised to see no note from her dad- he'd slept out for the past two nights and apart from a text asking her to do the washing, there had been no communication. Since her mum had died two years ago, Evie's relationship with her dad had been fraught to say the least. More than a few times now he had stepped their arguments up to the next level and hit her. Her bruises, safely covered by her green school jumper, were big and stood out on her fragile body, and sometimes made her wince in shock when she caught sight of them in the mirror.

Evie slowed her pace as she got nearer to the entrance of the school. She was tired- she was barely eating, her sleep was snatched and fitful, and the walk was a good half an hour. Her dad had suggested a bus, but hadn't offered to pay, and as she was struggling for money as it was, she had declined, saying she'd be happy to walk. She didn't particularly mind, she could use the time to clear her head and listen to her iPod, but she knew it wouldn't be fun on rainy days. She wasn't too early or late, so she quickly headed in to the building, avoiding the looks from other girls. She knew she had bags under her eyes, little black circles that wouldn't go away, and after making a beeline for the toilets, she desperately rubbed concealer in, hoping she might look a bit healthier. She slipped her makeup bag back into her school bag, and paused to finger the bottle of cheap vodka she'd carefully placed in there that morning. Before she could stop herself, she'd locked herself in a cubicle, and with shaking hands, taken several large gulps. Smoothing her hair, she walked out and headed for the main reception.

'Hi...' she said tentatively to the woman in the office. 'I'm Evie Walker. I'm new.' The woman peered over her glasses and tapped a couple of keys. 'Hmm. I can't seem to find you on our system. You _are _enrolled aren't you?' She asked_. _'Yeah,' Evie replied, 'I might be down as Genevieve. That's my full name, only nobody ever calls me that.' 'Ah. Well, you should have said!' The woman said, slightly snippily. 'Right, here you are. This is a copy of your timetable. If you'd like to take a seat through there, somebody will be here to welcome you.' Evie followed the woman's pointing finger, and sat down to study her timetable. It was only a few weeks into the start of the year, so she wouldn't have missed too much. She smiled as she looked at her lessons- she had somehow managed to secure an impressive set of GCSE results, which had allowed her to choose difficult A Levels- History, English Literature, Philosophy and Ethics and French, as well as compulsory Games and PSHE lessons filled her timetable. A pretty woman dressed in a smart pencil dress interrupted her thoughts. 'Hello. My name's Miss Mason- I'm your headmistress. You must be Genevieve?' she said, a warm smile on her face. Evie struggled to her feet, which did not go unnoticed by Rachel, who was looking closely at the girl, her sharp brain already trying to pick up clues about her new pupil. 'Hi. Yes, but everyone calls me Evie.' The teacher apologised, and led her into her office. 'Take a seat,' she said. Evie followed her, her head swimming with the alcohol, and maybe, just maybe, a little bit of fear.


	2. Bad beginning

Miss Mason had quickly sent her off to her first lesson, which was French with a blonde, heavily made up woman called Miss Haydock. The class was only small, which Evie had dreaded, as it meant she would be expected to forge relationships with the others and the teacher. Miss Haydock looked less than pleased to have an addition to the tiny class of four, who quickly made themselves known as Philip Ryan, Ros McCain, Danielle Harker and Aleesha Dillon.

'Well, Genevieve, you're going to have to work hard if you think you can start a new specification of A Level French midway through a term. What did you get at GCSE?' Miss Haydock said, after Evie had taken a seat.

'Oh... well, I, er, got an A*, Miss,' she said reluctantly, desperate to keep the attention away from herself. Ros had lifted her eyes at this, and looked a little put out.

'Right. Well that doesn't mean you'll find it easy to catch up you know. A Level is a different ball park.' she said snappily, flinging a textbook, which Evie only just caught.

Evie spent the rest of the lesson conjugating verbs, whilst Miss Haydock flicked through a magazine with her feet resting on her desk. She made small talk with the others, knowing it would look odd if she didn't. Aleesha and Danielle seemed friendly enough, Philip was rather over-friendly, and Ros barely lifted her head to look at her, sniffing every time she spoke. When the hour was over, she was utterly desperate to get to the toilet and have another swig of vodka. Aleesha's sharp eyes had picked up the slight tremble in her hands, and asked if she was okay.

Danielle had joined in.

'You do look a bit pale. Maybe you're coming down with something!'

Evie had tried to laugh it off, seem unconcerned. 'Oh,' she'd smiled. 'I suppose I'm more nervous about my first day then I'd realized!'

They'd smiled and made comments about how she seemed to be fitting in already.

'Oh, apart from an A* in French! _That's _not normal here. Apart from brain-box Ros over there!' Aleesha had laughed.

'Let me see your timetable,' Danielle had said, snatching it out of Evie's hands. 'Oh good, you've got Campbell for PSHE next, with us. Come on!'

The girls made their way down the corridor, Aleesha and Danielle filling Evie in on who was cool, who was not and who needed avoiding- and the same, with their teachers.

'Haydock's a pussy cat. She was only funny with you today because she wanted to pretend she had authority. She really is a crap teacher. She's helped us out of a few tight scrapes before though, and she's always cool with deadlines.' Aleesha had asserted, linking Evie's arm.

'Yeah. You've got Miss Koreshi for English- she's well nice,' said Danielle, peering at Evie's timetable. 'Oh and Clarkson for form! He's cool. _Hey! _You should join the footie team! Girls only, Clarkson and Koreshi do training!' she exclaimed.

Evie made a non-committal noise and followed the girls down the corridor. When they reached the door of Miss Campbell's classroom, she stopped. 'Oh hang on. I actually need the loo. I won't be a second. Could you tell Miss for me please?' she said, dashing away without waiting for a response. She made her way through the maze of corridors, before finding a door with a toilet sign on, rushing in, shakily unscrewing the lid of her vodka bottle and taking thirsty, quick gulps. She sat on the loo trying to get herself together, taking longer and longer swigs of the bottle.

She tilted it again, but this time only a few drops trickled on to her tongue. The bottle was completely empty.

She felt the cubicle spinning. She put hand on each side and leaned forwards, steadying herself, realizing that she'd had too much.

'Shit,' she muttered. 'Shit, Evie.'

Slowly standing, she staggered slightly to the sink, splashed her face, and even tried cupping her hands under the tap and drinking the cool water. When she felt steadier, she made her way to the door, pulling it open and heading down the corridor she thought she'd come up, desperately trying not to stagger. She turned a corner without looking, completely colliding with Miss Mason, who caught her as she stumbled.

'Hey- hey!' the teacher said, holding her by the shoulders. 'Evie? Evie are you alright?'

Evie tried to focus her eyes on her headmistress.

'Your eyes are glazed, sweetie. I think we should get you to my office. Come on.' Rachel said worriedly, placing an arm around the girl.

Evie tried to stop her. 'No. S'salright.'

Rachel caught the smell of her breath as she slurred the words. 'Have you been _drinking?_' she asked incredulously, looking more closely at Evie.

Evie's eyes filled up with tears. She tried to move away, and Rachel caught her by the wrist.

'Oh no you don't. Come on. My office. Now.' Rachel said, attempting to steer her through the doors.

Evie, suddenly and with no warning, doubled over. Unfortunately, she had chosen that moment to empty her stomach of the poison she'd filled it with. All over her new headmistress' shoes.


	3. Second chance?

**Thanks for the reviews on this story! Sorry for the delay in posting, busy with exams at the min so might not post the next part for two weeks or so! X**

Luckily for Rachel, Jasmine Koreshi had appeared at exactly the right moment- she had taken Evie by the elbow and led her to Rachel's office, where she had given her a glass of water and sat her down on the settee that was in there, where she promptly fell asleep. Rachel, meanwhile, had made a beeline for the staff toilets and was rinsing her shoes under the sink. As she tried to remove the traces of Evie's vomit, she thought about the girl. _She's obviously smart,_ Rachel thought- she'd looked over Evie's GCSEs, an impressive string of As and A*s. _So why was she drunk on her first day at a new school? _Sighing, she slotted her shoes back onto her dainty feet and headed to her office to try and unravel the mystery that was the new girl.

When Rachel arrived in her office, she was greeted by the sight of Jasmine standing nervously over Evie who was flat out on the sofa. She looked up gratefully at the sound of Rachel's footsteps.

'Rachel, she's drowsy. I can't get her to stay awake for long. She won't tell me what she's had to drink either.' Jasmine gabbled.

Rachel crossed the room and leant over Evie. She shook her gently, and the girl mumbled.

'I think she's alright, Jasmine. She threw a lot of it out of her system. I'll phone home now. Thanks for helping out there, I appreciate it.' Rachel said, moving efficiently towards the phone.

Jasmine left, and Rachel turned her attention to getting in touch with Evie's dad. After getting through to voicemail a few times, she gave up- she didn't want to leave a message, not without first being able to gage his character. She settled down at her desk, one eye fixed on Evie.

After about an hour, Evie stirred. Rachel was there in an instant, lifting the bin up to her mouth in the nick of time.

'Oh God. I'm so sorry,' Evie groaned, as Rachel scooped back her hair.

'Evie what have you had to drink?' Rachel asked urgently.

'Just some vodka. Not much,' Evie mumbled, before leaning over the bin again.

Evie retched until there was nothing left, Rachel stroking her back. When she'd finished, the headmistress gestured for her to sit back.

'So... do you want to explain?' she asked.

Evie stared at the floor. Rachel put a finger under Evie's chin, tilting her head so that the girl couldn't avoid meeting her eyes.

'I'm sorry. I was- nervous. About starting a new school.' Evie tried.

'I've _read _your file you know Evie. You've moved schools six times since starting secondary school. Did you get drunk for _every _first day?' Rachel said sceptically.

'Have you- have you spoken to my dad?' Evie whispered, trying desperately not to let tears pool in her eyes. Her face was pale, her eyes were panda-like, and she looked utterly distraught. Rachel had noticed, and quickly made a decision.

'No. I couldn't get through. Look, how about I drive you home? You need to sleep this off, I think. I want you back first thing tomorrow,' she said, not unkindly.

Evie could barely believe it. 'So you're not going to tell my dad?' she breathed.

Rachel looked at her hard. 'Seeing as nobody other than Miss Koreshi knows about this, we can let it go. Providing you're back in school and making a proper start tomorrow morning.'

Evie nodded gratefully, and then winced at the pain in her head.

'This is on the terms that you check in with Miss Campbell, our head of Pastoral Care, once a week for your first few months. Just until you're settled in.'

Evie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She was, after all, being handed a second chance, and her dad would never know.

'Second chance, Evie. Do not let me down.'


	4. About a boy?

**Sorry again for the slow update! I promise once these stupid January exams are done, I'll try to be a bit quicker. Thank you for the reviews! :) X**

Evie had crashed out as soon as she was sure Miss Mason's car had pulled away. She didn't want her new headteacher to come in and find any evidence that she was more or less living alone. Her dad made the odd appearance, mainly when he needed his clothes washed or a decent meal made- other than that, he was absent. Evie had no idea where he was, or what he was doing, but she knew it probably wasn't good. Hearing the satisfying purr of Miss Mason's engine as it revved into gear, she made it to her bed, and utterly exhausted, was flat out within minutes.

She woke in the morning as the light, streaming in through the gap in her curtains, hit her eyes. Groaning, she struggled up, pressing her fingertips to her aching head. She glanced at her phone. She'd slept all afternoon and all night, sleep that she'd desperately needed. 'Oh no no no no!' she cried, swinging her legs off her bed and frantically flinging her pyjamas off and her uniform on. She was forty minutes late already, she was only just awake and she still had the half an hour walk to make before she'd be at Waterloo Road. She had lots of missed calls and several texts from Aleesha, which did nothing to calm her.

'_Heyy it's just Leesh, where r u? Mason's been asking. What happened yesterday? U ok?X x x'_

Evie tapped out a reply with one hand as she worked her tie into position with the other. She took a few swigs of vodka to ward off the inevitable shakes, and then scoured a toothbrush round the contours of her mouth, overriding the stale taste of alcohol that lingered from yesterday.

_'Hey yeah I'm cool, just slept in! Didn't feel 2 well yesterday. On my way in now x x'_

She got to school as fast as she could, relieved to see it was break time so her arrival through the gates was inconspicuous. She spotted Aleesha and Danielle sitting on some steps and made her way over, dodging footballs and excited gaggles of Year Sevens. She offered the briefest of explanations, before thankfully, the bell rang, and the pair showed her to her English classroom, saying they'd meet her back there after the lesson. She took a seat at the back, and bent her head over the exercise book Miss Koreshi handed her. She tried not to answer all lesson, just shrugging when the teacher asked for her ideas. Every time she did so, Ros McCain sniggered audibly. Evie wondered what the girl's issue was, and the third time it happened, Evie glared at her, resisting making a snide comment. Evie was the first out of her seat when the bell rang, her heart sinking when Miss Koreshi asked the inevitable question.

'Evie? Got a moment?'

'Actually Miss, I, er- I've got to get to PSHE.' she tried.

Miss Koreshi looked at her. 'I won't keep you long.' she said, watching as the last student left and the door shut behind him.

_Please, please don't be about yesterday, _Evie prayed, knowing fine well it would be.

'I just wanted to see if you were feeling better today?' the teacher asked, perching on a desk.

'Yes. Yes thank you,' Evie said, eyes on the door, where Aleesha and Danielle were peering curiously through the glass.

'Good, I'm glad. Well we can put that behind us now. It's done. I saw your GCSE grades- A* in both English papers? I hope you can carry that on. You've got a lot of potential.'

Evie didn't make eye contact.

'Danielle was telling me that you're interested in joining the football team? Be nice to have a fresh face!'' the teacher tried again.

'I er- I can't, sorry.' Evie replied without looking up.

'Right. Fine. So... maybe next lesson you could try answering a few questions? Making a contribution?' Jasmine said, her tone less soft now.

Evie nodded. 'Can I go now?'

The teacher sighed and nodded, her eyes on the girl as she rushed to the door, puzzled by the sense of detatchment the girl gave off as opposed to how impressive she was on paper.

Aleesha and Danielle were full of questions, and Evie answered as vaguely as she could. She was rescued by the introduction of a new topic; both of the girls looking slyly sideways at her. Evie felt their eyes on her.

'What?' she asked nervously.

'So... Bolton Smilie wants to know if you're single!' Danielle burst out, linking Evie's arm.

Aleesha chipped in. 'He's _well _fit. Like, seriously. Can we give him your number?'

Evie laughed. 'I'm not interested.' she said.

'What? But Evie he's not just anyone! Wait til you see him! He's in our PSHE class so we'll show you in a minute.' Aleesha replied.

The girls took their seats in the vibrant classroom that was adorned with eye-catching pieces of art and brightly coloured posters, courtesy of Kim Campbell and her artistic flair. The girls subtly pointed out Bolton, and Evie's heart gave a lurch. _He is nice looking, _she thought, watching the crinkle of his eyes as he laughed at something one of his friends had said. Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Miss Campbell, who swept her eyes round the classroom before they landed on Evie.

'Hi,' she said warmly. 'You must be Evie. My name's Miss Campbell.'

Evie nodded. 'Hi,' she replied.

Evie subconsciously watched Bolton all lesson, her eyes darting from her exercise book to him, and back again. It didn't go unnoticed.

'I think that answers my question about whether I can give him your number then!' Aleesha said, nudging Evie.

Evie laughed again. Miss Campbell had noticed, and was mentally noting how different Evie looked when she laughed; the dullness in her eyes seemed to disappear. She was keen to start the pastoral sessions with the girl- she hated seeing any student look unhappy, and there was a hidden vulnerability to Evie that made the teacher want to reach out. _She looks so lost, _Kim thought to herself. _But there's something special about Evie Walker._


	5. Hope?

**Thank you sooo much to Sarahabc0598, Shooting The Stars, Gemma, Guest(s), BrookeDavis96, XXleahXX and WRFan2013 for your reviews of this so far! It means a lot to get lovely feedback :) Hope you all enjoy the next part, also if anyone has any ideas/requests for where they want this story to go, feel free to let me know, always open to ideas! Lots of love x **

Evie had finally succumbed to Bolton Smilie's persistent texts and agreed to go for a coffee with him. It was only when they were in town that he pushed the idea of the cinema. Laughing, she had agreed, and they had spent a fun two hours watching the latest comedy, their hands occasionally brushing as they reached for their popcorn. Evie smiled at how predictable it was. It felt nice to have a hint of normality in her life- a boy she could have fun with, and for the first time in her life, friends she was beginning to care about. She was almost enjoying Waterloo Road- the only fly in the ointment was Ros McCain, who was quick to offer a put down or a sneaky taunt. Evie had dealt with much, much worse, but she was seriously beginning to wonder what she'd done to upset the girl, who everyone else described as 'mild-mannered.'

Evie was trying in vain to distance herself, knowing that when the time came (and she knew it would come) when she had to leave Waterloo Road, it would be all the more difficult if she was attached to people. She had never felt like this before; like she could really be happy, and cared for. This led to her feeling an increasing need to open up to someone. She felt restless, tired, scared... sometimes at school she just had to disappear, find an empty classroom or even just a toilet cubicle where she could sit alone and let the mask drop. Tears would slide down her cheeks, and she would turn to the one thing she knew she could trust- fumbling fingers would unscrew the bottle, trembling hands would lift it to her lips. _Why can't I just ask for help?_ she asked herself.

Her mentoring sessions with Miss Campbell hadn't been going well. Evie liked how safe she felt when cocooned in the pastoral care office, but was expert at deflecting the careful questions the teacher asked. This meant the sessions usually wound down into discussions on art, books and boys- anything other than how Evie was feeling.

Friday morning saw Evie yielding a particularly vicious hangover. Although alcohol to her was becoming a vice, she still believed in its use for pleasure, and the night before, she, Aleesha, Danielle, Sambuca, Lauren and a handful of boys including Bolton, had gone out in Rochdale. A messy night had ensued, and as Evie made her way to her first period mentoring session with Miss Campbell, she berated herself for getting so drunk. The teacher looked up as she knocked and entered.

'Morning, Evie. Take a seat,' Kim smiled, going over to the sink unit. 'Can I get you a cuppa?'

'No thanks, Miss,' Evie said weakly, sitting down on one of the plush chairs in the office.

Miss Campbell was soon sitting opposite her. 'Are you alright, Evie? You don't look well.' the teacher asked, concern etched across her features.

'Fine. Thank you.' Evie managed, ignoring the swell of nausea rising in her throat.

Miss Campbell didn't persist. 'Listen, Evie. I've been thinking. Miss Koreshi tells me your English essays are the best she's seen in a long, long time. She doesn't say the same about your class participation, but let's leave that aside for now. There's a trip going on for the Year 9 English classes, to the battlefields in Belgium and France, for their war poetry topic.'

'Oh, right,' Evie said, not understanding where the teacher was going with this.

'I've been talking to Miss Koreshi, Mr Clarkson and Mr Budgen- they're leading the trip. They want you to go along as the sixth form volunteer.' Miss Campbell said, looking at Evie to gage her reaction.

'Oh. Well- that's nice but, I- I'd rather someone else got the chance to go.' Evie replied, trying to think of an acceptable excuse to give.

Miss Campbell shook her head. 'That's just it, Evie. Everyone else got the chance to go when they were in Year 9. Miss Koreshi explicitly asked for you.'

'I- don't think I could afford it really, Miss. I'm sorry.' Evie tried again.

'Darling, it will all be completely paid for by the school for you. You'd be helping out, doing a favour.' the teacher smiled.

Evie didn't reply.

'Listen, I think this would be an absolutely enriching, not to mention _inspiring _experience for you. Miss Koreshi tells me you could go on to study English at university. She thinks you can get a lot out of this- motivation wise. There'll be the chance for you to attend a lecture on war poetry.' Miss Campbell said coaxingly.

Evie was resisting the urge to burst into tears. Nobody had ever offered her a chance like this before. She loved English, but she was finding it hard to concentrate. She knew the trip would be a brilliant boost for her.

Her teacher spoke again. 'I took a chance, Evie, and told the other teachers that I'd go on the trip. I thought it might persuade you if you knew there would be a friendly face. I really think you should do this Evie.'

Evie swallowed a large lump in her throat, trying not to let tears collect in her eyes. The last time she remembered feeling this cared for was when her mum was alive. She found it so difficult to place her trust in anyone, and so often she allowed the bleak cloud of her thoughts to swallow her completely. She tried not to listen to the tiny glimmer of hope that her brain was processing. _It doesn't work like that Evie. You should know that by now. _She felt torn between the voices telling her to jump at the chance, to open up to her gentle teacher, to cry and let herself be held- torn between that, and the voices telling her not to be stupid, not to be gullible, to close up and protect herself. Miss Campbell had noticed the girl's eyes starting to water. She reached a hand across the table.

'Sweetheart?'

_I don't know what to do, _Evie silently replied.


	6. Worse than before

**Hi everyone, thank you again for the reviews, they really do make my day! **

**Also, this is just a warning that this chapter will include references to violence. **

**XX**

Evie had found herself agreeing to go on the trip. How she would get it past her dad, she hadn't worked out yet. She knew he would probably flip- anything made him flip at the minute. She was spending more and more time out of the house, at Bolton's, or Aleesha's, and sometimes Danielle's. Recently, she had also taken to hiding herself in Miss Campbell's art classroom at the end of the school day, knowing that the teacher was more often than not wrapped up in meetings in her office. It became a safe haven to her, buying her a few more hours before she had to go home. Her dad's outbursts were becoming more frequent and more violent than they had before. Only the careful, meticulous application of makeup could cover the unhealthy tinge of Evie's skin; she could barely eat because her tummy was often churning with nerves, and her sleep was almost non-existent. She was also finding it more and more difficult to hide the fact that she needed a drink to get her through the day from her friends and teachers. More than a few times now, Aleesha had noticed her trembling hands and looked unconvinced at Evie's quick dismissals. Evie felt close to breaking point.

She had spent the weekend after Miss Campbell had asked her about the trip considering how best to broach the subject with her dad. His absences from the house were often prolonged, but unpredictable, and if he turned up while she was away, she knew it wouldn't be worth returning. On Sunday night, she decided now was as good a time as any to bite the bullet. She was in her pyjamas, and cleaning up the mess her dad had left in the kitchen. She pulled a beer from the fridge and walked tentatively into the living room, trying to gage his mood.

'I- got you a beer, dad.' she said quietly, handing it to him.

He grunted in reply, taking it from her hand, cracking it open and swigging deeply, his eyes glued to the television. His arm made a swatting motion, batting her away as if she was an irritating fly.

Afterwards, Evie wondered why she'd carried on. Why she hadn't given up and gone to her room, out of harm's way. Why she'd ignored the warning signs.

'Dad?' she'd asked. 'There's a- a trip with school. To Belgium.'

'Shut up. We can't afford it.' He'd said shortly, not even bothering to look at her.

'The school want to pay. I'd be going as a sixth form helper. To give a hand to the staff.'

'WE ARE NOT A CHARITY CASE!' he'd roared suddenly, exploding from his chair.

Filled with a sudden fire, Evie had raised her voice, for the first time ever. 'No dad. That's not how it is! That's not what-'

He'd struck her, quickly, before she'd even had time to register that he'd raised his fist. An intense pain rose in the side of her head, and she reeled backwards, head hitting the fireplace, stars blurring her vision.

She didn't remember the rest.

She'd woken on the floor where she'd fallen, shivering and hurting more than she'd hurt before. She could hear the blaring of the television from her dad's bedroom upstairs. She desperately tried to think, to formulate any sort of plan. All she knew was that she had to get out. She tentatively tried wiggling her toes and fingers, lifting her arms and testing for pain. She winced as she felt the throbbing of her ankle; more than likely a sprain. Her head and face hurt the most, and as she opened her eyes, she realized her right eyes was so swollen she could barely see through it. Her ribs also hurt, making breathing more difficult. She blinked back tears, gritting her teeth and silently feeling around for her phone. Reaching it, she checked the time. 4:42 am. Her dad had gone further than he ever had before, and Evie knew that it would be dangerous to stay- the noise of the TV was a strong indicator that he'd stayed up drinking all night. Evie knew it would be extremely dangerous to still be here in the morning. Standing up slowly, biting her lip to stop from crying out, she crept towards the front door. She didn't want to risk sneaking to her room for clothes or money- she had to get out _now._ Moving slowly, she made the tiniest of steps towards the front door, pausing to listen for noises as she went. Finally, thankfully, her hands grasped the door knob, and the cold air was hitting her face. The path in front of her was suddenly illuminated as her dad's bedroom light was flung on. Her heart beats tripling in speed, she broke into a run, ignoring the shrieks of protest from her throbbing body. She kept running, terrified of what would happen if she didn't.

Racking her brains as she ran, she went to the only place she could think of; Waterloo Road. Gasping for breath and sobbing, she made her way to the outside of the girls' toilets on the ground floor. The window was tiny, at a little way off the ground, but she knew she had to get inside somehow- it was freezing. She reluctantly snapped a branch from one of the trees nearby, using her remaining strength to bend it off and then hammer it through the pane of glass stopping her from getting inside. Her arms trembling with the effort, she hoisted herself up through the window, swearing softly as she felt a jagged edge of glass cut through her pyjamas and into her stomach. Easing herself into the room, Evie sat in the dark, knees to her chest. She was utterly exhausted.

She let some time slide by before she sent a text to Danielle, knowing that the girl slept with her phone under her pillow.

_'Dan, I really need a favour. It's an emergency. Please cud u bring a spare uniform to school ASAP? And a facecloth and some makeup. Really sorry but it's urgent. Need u. Sorry 2 wake u so early. XXX'_

Ten minutes went by before her phone vibrated, signalling a reply.

_'Babe what?! What's going on?xxx'_

Evie tapped out a reply, trying to stem the tears that were trickling freely.

'_Wouldn't ask unless I was desperate. Please. I'll explain everything when u get here. Please Dan xxx'_

This time, the reply was quicker.

_'Okay babe. Be there in forty '_

Evie's heart leapt. Maybe, just maybe, she could get out of this mess alright. She sent silent waves of thanks to Danielle, so grateful to have a friend who would help so unquestioningly. She turned on the lights in the toilet to inspect how she looked. She recoiled in horror as she caught her reflection in the mirror. She set to work with damp toilet roll, cleaning the dried blood from her face and body- her feet were bloody too, after her barefoot run to the school. She gently ran water through her hair in the sink, shuddering at the amount of blood that mixed with the water in the bowl. She did her best to dry it under the hand dryers, and took off her pyjama top to briefly towel dry it. Satisfied that she had done all she could, she sat back against the wall and waited for Danielle. At 7:30, she heard footsteps out in the corridor. Locking herself in a cubicle, she realised it must be the caretakers opening up. Quickly texting Danielle, she let her know where she was, and it wasn't long before her friend pushed open the toilet door.

'Evie?' Danielle called softly.

Evie slowly unlocked the door and stepped out. Danielle's eyes widened. She dropped the carrier bag she was clutching.

'_Jesus, Evie. _What happened?!' she gasped.

Evie averted her gaze.

'I was attacked. Someone rang the doorbell this morning, wouldn't stop ringing. So I went down to answer it, and... they attacked me.' she said quietly.

'Oh my God Evie. I've got to go and get someone. Have you- have you rang the police?!' Danielle cried.

'No!' Evie said quickly. 'No don't, Dan. I'm fine. My dad's away, that's why I didn't want to stay in the house. I don't want any fuss, or my dad won't let me stay in the house alone. And because of all his business trips, that means I'd have to leave Waterloo Road.' she invented, the lies flowing from her tongue.

Danielle looked unsure. 'But- but Evie...'

'Honestly Dan. I'm fine. I just need to sort my face.' Evie smiled.

Danielle unloaded the carrier bag, handing Evie a facecloth and the makeup she'd asked for. Evie started to apply it expertly, and she soon looked a lot better. There was no hiding the swollen, black eye though, or the cut on her lip.

'I didn't have a spare jumper and tie clean, babe.' Danielle said apologetically. 'Here's a skirt and tights though.'

Evie pulled them on thankfully, smiling with gratitude as Danielle pulled her hoodie off so that she could wear that.

'Oh god,' Danielle groaned. 'Shoes! I'll text Leesh now, hopefully she can bring you some.'

Evie brushed her hair and left it round her face, not wanting to emphasise her injuries any more- they already drew enough attention on their own merit. She could hear footsteps now, and the occasional voice; the earliest teachers, and the odd student.

She sighed. 'Come on. Let's get out of here before they connect me to that broken window.'

Danielle peeked round the door first. Seeing nothing but an empty corridor, she beckoned for Evie to follow. Evie linked her arm through Danielle's, and the pair headed off for somewhere to hide, neither knowing exactly what to do next.


	7. The truth is beginning to show

**Seeing as it's half term I thought I'd do another update quite quickly before I go back to school on Monday :( Thank you for the reviews! They brighten my days. Please feel free to PM me if you have any suggestions or requests for where this story should go :) Hope you all enjoy XX**

Evie and Danielle had snuck behind the stage in the main assembly hall, hiding themselves down beside the overflowing boxes of drama costumes. Danielle kept surreptitiously glancing at Evie's face.

'Evie,' she whispered. 'Are you sure you don't want to go and tell Miss Campbell or someone about this?'

Evie forced a smile and shook her head. 'No babe, I'm fine. You know what she's like for making a fuss.'

'Well yeah, but she's lovely. You know she'd just try to help.' Danielle replied. 'Or what about Haydock? She's got me out of a few sticky situations. And Miss Koreshi! She was brill when I found out my boyfriend had HIV.'

'Honestly, Dan, stop worrying. I know they'd try to help, but really, I'd just rather leave it.'

Danielle opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by the noise of the door creaking open.

'Dan? Evie? Are you in here?' Aleesha's voice rang out.

'_Shhhh!' _the girls replied in unison.

Aleesha made her way over to the pair, gasping out loud when she saw Evie's face. Evie repeated the story about answering the door to an attacker, gratefully taking the pair of trainers that Aleesha offered her, ignoring the girl's open mouth.

'Look, why don't you stay at mine tonight?' Aleesha asked. 'Must be scary.'

'It's fine. My dad's just visiting family. He might be back tonight.' Evie replied.

She realised her mistake even as the words flowed from her tongue. She carried on speaking, hoping that Danielle wasn't switched on enough to realise what she'd said. She could tell from the expression on Danielle's face that she would have no such luck.

'But... you said your dad went away for business trips. Not to visit family.' Danielle said quietly.

'Yeah,' Evie said a bit too brightly. 'Yeah, usually he's away on business. This time he's gone to see some relatives, though.'

Evie's heart was thumping. How could she have been so careless? Her lies were beginning to intertwine, and they were already tangling so much they were contradicting themselves. Danielle nodded, but didn't look happy.

'Come on. We'll be late for form.'

The three girls slowly made their way to form. Before they could get there, Evie was stopped by Miss Koreshi.

'Evie! I was delighted to hear from Miss Campbell that you're going to come on the trip! I really do think you'll get something worthwhile out of it.' the young woman said enthusiastically.

Evie tried not to make eye contact. 'Yeah. Thanks, Miss.' she replied, keeping her gaze firmly on the floor.

The teacher looked at her. 'Where are your school shoes? And why are you wearing a hoodie?' she asked in her gentle Scottish lilt.

'Oh... sorry. I, er- I slept over at a friend's last night and forgot my uniform. Had to get Danielle to bring in the skirt. It won't happen again, Miss.' Evie mumbled.

'Evie, look at me. You know this isn't good enough.'

Evie reluctantly lifted her head. Jasmine bit back a cry.

'Right- you two. Better get off to form. Can you let Evie's form head know that she's here please?' the teacher said quickly, looking at Aleesha and Danielle.

The pair nodded awkwardly. Evie shot them a desperate look, the girls returning an apologetic one as they walked away.

'Evie,' the teacher said, once the other two had disappeared through the double doors. 'Evie, what happened?'

The girl tried to meet Miss Koreshi's eye. 'It's nothing, Miss. I just got into a bit of a scrap with another girl. It's fine now though, it's all okay.' she said, trying to be as convincing as possible.

'I think you'd better come up to Miss Mason's office with me, sweetheart.' Jasmine said softly, steering Evie off down the corridor.

Jasmine left Evie sitting outside with Bridget, who set to work fixing Evie a cup of tea. Rachel had looked up as Jasmine had entered.

'Morning, Jasmine. Can I help you?' she'd asked, looking up from some paper work. 'I'm afraid it'll have to be quick- someone's smashed the window of the girls' toilets. 'I've got to get to assembly in a bit to try and establish what's gone on- it's not just vandalism, there's blood in there and on the glass. Someone obviously crawled through it- or was pushed.'

Jasmine bit her lip. 'It's Evie Walker, Rachel. She's not wearing the right uniform-'

Rachel interrupted. 'Oh Jasmine. Put her in the cooler then. I don't have time to deal with that this morning,' she sighed. Strain was uncharacteristically etched across her face.

'No, let me finish,' Jasmine said. 'She's pretty badly bust up. Huge black eye, really swollen. Cut lip. Her hair's still damp, too. She looks pretty awful, Rach. She claims it was a fight, but I don't know what to think.'

Rachel stood up slowly, her attention caught. 'Sorry, Jasmine. I didn't mean to snap. I'll be honest with you, I've been concerned about her since she started here. She doesn't look well at all, and Kim says she's getting nothing out of her in these mentoring sessions. Can we go to assembly, and bring her back here straight afterwards? Can you get Kim to come too?' she asked.

Jasmine nodded. 'Of course. Rach, she's so talented, but she just doesn't seem to be connecting with anything or anyone. She even seems to be keeping Danielle and Aleesha at arms length. I'm really worried.'

Rachel suddenly looked up. 'Jasmine- do you think she could have anything to do with that smashed window?'

'I don't know. I- I just feel uncomfortable. I think she's in a bad way.' Jasmine said.

Evie had tried not to let anything show on her face during the assembly, giving a pointed look to Danielle and Aleesha, who couldn't stop themselves from looking panicked. As soon as Miss Mason had stopped speaking, Miss Koreshi had leaned over and tapped her on the shoulder, guiding her out and back to the headmistress' office. The teacher told her to sit down, and they were soon joined by Miss Campbell and Miss Mason. She tried her best to keep her cool, knowing that the teachers were watching her face carefully.

'Look. I've already told Miss Koreshi. I got in a fight. I was stupid, and it won't happen again.' she said calmly.

'Evie, if there's anything you want to talk to me- or any of us- about, you kn-' Rachel started.

'Yeah, I know, I can speak to you. I get it.' Evie cut in.

Rachel looked at her hard. 'Do you know anything about the smashed window?'

'No. Why would I? Can I please go now?' Evie sighed.

Kim leaned over and lightly patted Evie's hand. The girl flinched at her touch, a reaction that didn't go unnoticed by Rachel's sharp eyes.

'Don't make it difficult for yourself, Evie. We're here to help.' Kim said softly.

Evie just nodded, rising quickly as Rachel smiled and gestured to the door.

Rachel Mason was knee deep in marking when Bridget rapped on the door.

'Danielle Harker wants to see you. Shall I tell her to come back later? Only, she looks a bit bothered about something.' the woman said, leaning her head around the door.

'No, it's alright Bridget. Send her in, please.' Rachel replied, putting her pen down.

She looked up again a moment later and saw Danielle hovering by the door, looking utterly uncomfortable. Rachel smiled reassuringly and gestured to her to come in.

'What can I do for you, Danielle?' she asked, as the girl neared her desk.

Danielle looked unsure.

'Do you want to sit down?' Rachel asked, trying to put the girl at ease.

Danielle took a seat, nervously glancing at the windows that covered an entire side of the room. Rachel, as astute as ever, rose and drew the blinds, so nobody entering reception would be able to look in. When she took her seat opposite the sixth former, Danielle didn't even look up.

'Miss, I'm- I'm a bit worried about one of my friends.' Danielle almost whispered.

'Alright, love, do you want to tell me why?' Rachel asked. She had already guessed Danielle was speaking about Evie.

'I don't want her to know I've spoken to you,' Danielle said quickly.

'That's absolutely fine.' the headteacher reassured. 'Your name never has to be mentioned.' She paused. 'Would I be right in thinking you're worried about Evie Walker?'

Danielle nodded, almost imperceptibly. Rachel didn't push her, letting a silence fall in the room for a few minutes.

'I don't want to say too much. I'm not a grass. I- I just think she's lying about how she got hurt.' the girl finally said, letting her breath out in a sudden whoosh.

'What makes you say that, darling?' Rachel said, her senses alert.

'I know it seems trivial and stupid, but she told me her dad was away on a, like, a business trip. And then later when we met Aleesha, she said he was visiting family! I dunno Miss, I just think there's something going on with her.' she said, looking at the floor.

'Danielle, is there anything else you can think of about Evie that doesn't feel quite right? It's really important that you try and think.' Rachel said.

Danielle raised her eyes to meet her headmistress'. 'Well... me and Aleesha have never been to her house, we're not even proper sure where she lives. She jumps a mile every time we say about coming round, or calling for her. She hasn't even given us her house phone number! And she picks at all her food, and she always looks like she's losing weight. And I know this sounds horrible, but she looks awful! Always tired and pale, and her hands are always, like, dead shaky. And this morning she proper shrugged it off, like it was nothing, even though she was sat in the toilets in her jarmies from god knows what time!' the girl gabbled.

'Was Evie the one who broke that window?' Rachel cut in.

Danielle put a hand to her mouth. 'Oh god. I didn't mean to say that. Oh noooo, Evie's going to kill me!'

Rachel reached over and squeezed Danielle's hand. 'No, listen, it's not about punishing her. A broken window is not important in the wider scheme of things. What's important here is making sure Evie's safe. You've done the right thing coming to speak to me.'

Danielle rose unsteadily from her chair. 'Thanks, miss. I- I care about Evie. I hated seeing her like she was this morning.'

Rachel nodded. 'I know, love. Don't worry. We'll sort this.'


	8. Evie's exhausted

Rachel had sent out a note to the sixth form common room saying she wanted to see Evie, much to Danielle's discomfort. Evie had rolled her eyes as she rose up and left, but instead of making her way to Miss Mason's office, she headed in the opposite way, peering into classrooms looking for any that were empty. She wasn't sure if she could handle an interrogation from her head teacher, funny looks from other pupils, or sitting through another lesson. She finally stumbled across an empty room, and settled herself in there. She was achy and sore, and all she wanted was to soak herself in a hot bath. She hadn't decided quite what she was going to do when home time came- whether or not she was going to go home at all was the issue she was debating. Maybe she would take Aleesha up on her offer to stay over- or would that make things all the worse when she finally did go home? Evie was still deep in thought, her tummy flipping somersaults, when the noise of the door opening interrupted her. Ros McCain walked in and slung her bag down, before noticing Evie.

'What are you doing in here? I always come in here this period.' the girl said, looking at Evie with obvious distaste.

Evie rolled her eyes. 'Sorry, didn't realize I wasn't _allowed _in here.' she replied.

'Oh for God's sake, can't you just go?!' Ros shouted unexpectedly, a flare up of anger visible on her face.

'Look, why exactly do you dislike me so much Ros? What have I done?' Evie sighed.

Ros glared at her. 'Like you don't know!' she hissed.

Evie looked bewildered. 'I don't!' she said. 'You've seemed to hate me since I got here.'

Suddenly, without any warning, Ros lunged at Evie. Evie screamed as she hit the floor- if she'd suspected a cracked rib before, she had definitely just confirmed it. Evie reacted in the only way she knew how- she kicked and hit with all the strength left in her, the usually timid Ros giving it all she had.

'Ros, please...' Evie choked out.

Ros wouldn't let up. Her eyes were manic, wildly focused on Evie in a determined rage as she pummelled her with her fists. Evie tried her best to fight back. Struggling into a better position, she managed to land a strong punch to the other girl's nose. Ros fell backwards into a table, which overturned with a resounding crash. Leaping to her feet, she ran towards Evie, flinging herself at the girl again. By now, there was blood everywhere- Evie couldn't even tell who it belonged to. Tom Clarkson, alerted by the noise, tore through the door.

'GIRLS! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PLAYING AT?!' he roared, trying his best to get in between the flying fists.

Kim Campbell was hot on his heels, a look of horror on her face. 'EVIE! Get off her now!' she shouted urgently.

Tom managed to drag Ros away from Evie, pinning her arms tightly to her sides. He was soon covered in the blood that was pouring from her nose. Kim unceremoniously hauled Evie to her feet and held her arms tightly behind her back. Evie squirmed- the teacher was unwittingly squeezing bruises.

'I'll go and sort Ros out. Looks like a broken nose. Can you sort Evie? Let's get both sides of the story.' Tom sighed, leading a struggling Ros out by the elbow.

Tom led Ros to the First Aid room, where he, with the help of the nurse, patched her up as best as they could. After a dose of painkillers, Ros sat opposite Tom with a bag of ice held to her nose.

'That was... uncharacteristic, Ros. What happened?' he asked the girl, looking at her hard.

Ros burst into tears. 'She just lost it, Sir. She went for me!'

Tom leaned over and patted her shoulder gently. 'Well- did you provoke her in any way? Say anything she could have reacted badly to?'

'No!' Ros gulped. 'Sir, it was all Evie. I don't even know what happened. She's nuts!'

Tom sighed. 'Stay here, Ros. I'll be back in a little while.'

Kim didn't say a word to Evie, frogmarching her along the corridor until they reached the pastoral care office.

'Sit down, and wait here.' she finally said, before stalking out, the door slamming shut behind her.

Evie sat in silence, tucking her knees up underneath her for comfort. It had been quite a day. She was utterly exhausted. She felt sapped of all energy- all her effort was now concentrated on not curling up on the sofa in the corner of the room and sobbing. Kim reappeared after fifteen minutes. She looked furious.

'Evie, I just don't understand what is _going on _with you!' she said frustratedly. '_Why? _Evie, why can't you just understand, I'm trying to help you?! Why do you have to fight against everyone and everything all the time?'

'What do you mean?' Evie asked wearily. She really was too tired for this.

'I've spoken to Mr Clarkson. Ros has told him what happened.' she said in a low voice. 'You don't seem to be getting anywhere, Evie. I don't give up on students, but you're making my job awfully difficult.'

'But Miss, I haven't done anything!' she said exasperatedly. 'It was Ros! She just lost it!'

Kim narrowed her eyes. 'And why would she do that, Evie? Ros is an absolute model pupil.'

Evie felt tears of frustration spring to her eyes. She blinked them away furiously.

'She's had a problem with me since the first day I got here! Ask anyone! Bolton, Danielle, Aleesha, Paul! They'll tell you!' she shouted.

'Yes, I'm sure your friends would back you up with anything you decided to say. I don't want to discuss this now. You've had quite a day. We need to get you cleaned up before we go any further. Evie, I am so disappointed in you.' Kim replied, moving briskly towards one of the cupboards bordering the room.

Evie recoiled when she saw Kim pull out the first aid kit.

'Miss, I don't need that.' she said shakily.

'I'll be the judge of that. We need to clean your face up.' Kim replied shortly, unzipping the bag in one quick, snappy movement.

Kneeling down in front of Evie, Kim began to clean Evie's face with an antiseptic wipe. Evie's makeup came away with every motion, unveiling month old bruises that covered her jaw and revealing the pallid greyness of her skin. Huge, bruise coloured rings hung below Evie's eyes. Miss Campbell tried not to let her eyes widen in shock. Her fingers brushed Evie's cheek gently, all traces of anger and frustration vanishing in an instant.

She locked eyes with Evie.

'Tell me.' she said softly.

Exhaustion threatened to overwhelm Evie. She was overcome by everything that had happened through the day; not even knowing where she was going to sleep tonight, whether or not it was safe to go home.

_She knew it was never safe to go home._

Evie couldn't hold it in any longer. She burst into tears; her sobs guttural. Kim had never heard a noise filled with so much hurt. Evie couldn't breathe. Her chest was heaving, everything hurt and she was simply too tired to hold on anymore. Kim was by her side in an instant, soothing, stroking her hair. Evie was barely even aware of where she was.

Kim cradled Evie for a long, long time. And then Evie talked.


	9. The truth is out

**Hi everyone, **

**Realised I've neglected this recently so I thought I'd update while I had the time! Sorry for the long wait, and thank you very much for the lovely reviews! **

**Also, I've not really had a plan for this story, just been following where it takes me, but I'm thinking this might be a good place to stop? Please let me know if you think so, or would like me to carry it on :) **

**X**

Evie told Kim everything. Kim didn't interrupt once, understanding the importance of letting Evie get it all out. The bell signalling the end of the day rang, but Kim ignored it, only moving once to wave away a couple of girls at the door. On Evie's part, she didn't leave anything out, knowing that it was better for everyone if she was as honest as she could be. Once she'd started, she found it fairly easy to keep going. When she finally stopped speaking, exhausted, she sank back into the welcoming arms of the sofa, too physically and emotionally tired to keep herself upright. Kim, not wanting to leave her alone, rang Rachel and asked her to come to the pastoral care office. She was there in minutes, Jasmine hot on her heels. Jasmine joined Evie on the sofa, whilst Rachel and Kim stepped outside for a hurried conversation. After filling her in on what Evie had told her, Kim asked Rachel what she thought should happen next.

'I know this isn't how it's meant to work- you know I don't like to do anything that isn't professional...' Kim started.

'Go on,' Rachel encouraged.

'I can't help but think if we dump her on social services tonight it will do her more harm than good. I feel like she needs a good meal, a good night's sleep and a bit of TLC before she deals with it all. I mean, look at her, Rach. She looks like the slightest puff of wind could knock her out.' Kim replied.

Rachel nodded. 'I know. I can't quite get my head around the fact that she's gone through all this and is still functioning! What are you suggesting?'

'I don't know. I just thought she might be better off staying at mine tonight. Then tomorrow, when she's a bit more equipped to deal with it, we call the social. I think telling her story has knocked her for six.' Kim said thoughtfully.

Rachel nodded. 'I have no objection- I want to speak to you before you take her home though. The poor girl. I'm overwhelmed, Kim. How she's managed to pull the wool over our eyes for so long, I'll never know. She must be knackered!'

The pair softly opened the door to the pastoral care office and joined Evie and Jasmine, who was gently stroking the girl's hair. Rachel sat down directly opposite her, and reached out her hands, gently clasping Evie's.

'Darling, I know you must be absolutely ready to drop, but I need you to listen to me very carefully just for a few moments. You need to know a couple of important things.' the headmistress said, locking eyes with the teenager.

Evie nodded. She was too tired to reply.

'First of all, I want you to know we are immensely proud of you for what you did this afternoon. It must have taken a lot of guts and a lot of energy to talk about what's been happening.'

Evie gave a weak smile.

'Secondly, you need to know that _it all ends here. _You are safe now. Completely safe. I promise.' Rachel said, giving the girl's hands a squeeze.

The expression on Evie's face was one of sheer freedom. Looking at her, Rachel could visibly see the stress and pain that had been etched into her features melting away. Everything for Evie had been so horrible for so long. She'd reached her breaking point, and here were three women who cared about her and who were telling her she was safe. She wiped away tears of relief from her cheeks, confused; she had thought she couldn't possibly have any left. She thought back to what Miss Campbell had said to her that afternoon- 'Tell me'. Two words, two syllables, six letters, that was what it had taken for her to start speaking.

She hardly dared believe it. _It was finally over._


	10. Chapter 10

**I was in two minds whether or not to carry this on, but I do have a definite plan for it now and I missed writing about Evie too much to leave it! So sorry for how long this has taken and thank you for the reviews for the last part! x**

Evie couldn't remember the last time she'd been mothered this way. Kim had ran her a bath and once she was out, gave her a pair of her own thick, fleecy pyjamas to wear. Once she'd settled her on the sofa, she'd wrapped a blanket tightly round her shoulders and placed a huge bowl of pasta on her lap. Evie ate it gratefully, savouring each bite and enjoying the silence. Kim seemed to appreciate her need for quiet, curling up on the opposite sofa with a book. When it grew late, Kim led Evie to the spare room, tucking her into bed with a mug of hot chocolate.

'If you need anything during the night, don't hesitate to wake me,' Kim said, squeezing Evie's hand gently.

Evie nodded, suppressing a yawn. 'Thank you, Miss. For everything.' she replied, her gaze fixed firmly on the mug she was clutching.

'Look at me, Evie,' Kim said gently. 'You've done the right thing. I'm very proud.'

Evie gave a watery smile and Kim returned it, backing out slowly and closing the door with a gentle click. Evie slowly sipped the hot chocolate, relishing the comforting, blanket-like feeling that spread through her body. She was only half way through the mug when she had to admit defeat; her eyes were closing and her whole body was craving sleep.

The morning was worse. From the moment Evie opened her eyes, she felt sick. Last night she'd been sleepy, warm and full, and Kim's care had made her feel as though maybe everything would be okay now. Everything was different in the cold light of day. She felt a rush of fear. How could she have let herself believe she was safe? That people cared? Her mantra had always been to never show weakness, never trust anyone. She had always relied purely on herself. Last night had been like some sort of dream. Her brain was more alert now, her whole body was aching and she felt the inevitable desperate craving for a drink, a craving she'd come to expect.

With shaky legs, she slipped out of bed. She wiped the sheen of cold sweat on her forehead and crept towards the door, painfully conscious of the noise her footsteps were making- she was anxious not to wake Kim. She made her way downstairs and made a beeline for the kitchen. She opened cupboard after cupboard, trying to strike a balance between doing it as quickly as she could and making no noise. Finally she found what she was searching for. Just as her desperate fingers closed around the small, cool bottle, she heard the floorboards above creak. Thinking quickly, she unscrewed the lid, took two thirsty gulps and scurried into the living room. She thrust the bottle behind the large plant pot next to the door and flung herself onto the sofa just as Kim entered.

'Morning, sweetheart. Sleep alright?' she asked, smiling at Evie.

Evie let out a small 'Mmm.'

Kim busied herself in the kitchen, but Evie could barely touch the plate of scrambled eggs or the toast that she was handed. She made a half hearted effort before scraping it into the bin.

Kim looked concerned. 'I think you should try and eat something, Evie. Today will be tough. You're going to need strength.'

Evie shook her head. She tried to keep her voice level, but couldn't help the wobble. 'I can't. My tummy's churning.'

Kim gave her a sympathetic look. 'We're going to be with you. Me and Miss Mason. I promise.'

Evie nodded, but couldn't meet the woman's eyes.

'Evie?'

There was a silence.

Kim let out a slow whoosh of breath. 'You don't believe me, do you?' she said.

'I-' Evie tried to respond.

Kim's heart literally ached for the girl sitting in front of her. She looked so fragile, so delicate, as if she could break any second. But Kim knew in that moment that Evie didn't know what it was like to rely on another person.

'Evie,' she cut in. 'Please. Listen to me.'

Evie raised her head to meet the woman's eyes.

'Please, sweetheart. Please trust me. I- _we're- _not going to leave you. We will be here for as long as it takes. For however long you need us. That is a _promise, _Evie. You can do it. And it will get better. It always does.' Kim said.

She wanted to reassure her that she meant every word. She was itching to reach out and pull Evie into a tight hug, but she was worried the physical contact might freak her out. She settled for squeezing her hand.

Evie's eyes were watering. 'Okay,' she whispered.

WR WR WR WR

Rachel had been in her office since half past seven. She'd had trouble sleeping. Her thoughts had been completely taken up with Evie and the news that had shocked her so deeply. She'd tossed and turned and couldn't shake the thought that perhaps she was losing her touch. She'd known something wasn't right with the girl since the moment she set eyes on her- how could she have missed something like this?

She'd admitted defeat at half past six, got up and headed straight to Waterloo Road. She was hell-bent that the negotiations with social services and the police would go as quickly and smoothly as possible- she was determined to make it as painless as possible for Evie. She sighed. The girl was in for a brutal day, which seemed horribly unfair after what she'd been through.

The buzz of her phone broke her from her thoughts. It was Kim.

'_Heading in with Evie now. Want to get her there before it gets busy. Don't want anything to freak her. K x'_

Even though it was just a text, Rachel could feel the nerves it transmitted. Kim was evidently as tense as she was about the day ahead.

It wasn't long until she heard footsteps, and Kim and Evie were in her office. Evie looked smaller than ever in a baggy hoodie and a pair of leggings she'd borrowed from Kim. She offered Rachel a small smile and Rachel had to fight the urge to pull her close.

The silence was disrupted by the noise of a car. The three turned their heads to look out of the window which overlooked the car park. The unmistakeable colours of a police car greeted them and two men in uniform got out. Rachel bit back a sigh. When the students arrived, they'd know straight away that something was awry, and Evie could do without that. She'd hoped for plain clothes officers and a normal car- she was a tad concerned that the formality of the uniforms might daunt Evie.

As Evie sank into a chair, her face drained of all colour, Rachel exchanged a look with Kim. It had begun.


	11. Chapter 11

Evie turned to look at the two women. She was slumped back in a chair, gripping the arms as if they were her lifeline.

'There's something you need to know,' she said.

'Okay,' was all Rachel said.

'I have a criminal record.' Evie replied, her cheeks colouring. 'And- it might affect what happens now.'

'What do you mean?' Rachel asked, crouching down so she was on eye level with Evie.

'I- I,' she started, her voice faltering for the first time.

'It's okay,' Rachel said softly.

'W-when my mum got ill she had to stop working. And my dad was d-drinking all the time. We ran out of money. So...' Evie trailed off.

'Must have been a tough situation.' Kim said quietly.

'I'm not proud. Actually I hate myself. But I was only fourteen, I didn't know what else to do, there wasn't any family who could help and my teachers already thought I was a trouble maker because of the cuts and bruises I had,' Evie gabbled.

'Woah, woah, slow down,' Kim said soothingly. 'What are you trying to tell us?'

'I- I was working all the hours under the sun. I even started leaving school early to grab an extra hour's shift. But it still wasn't enough. Mum was getting worse and I just wanted to be able to give her a good meal every night. So I started stealing. Food at first. Sandwiches and slabs of cake from the school canteen. Blocks of cheese and packs of pasta from the supermarket. School caught me and rang home. But we were always just that little bit too skint. Anyway, when m-mum- when mum got worse, she needed more and more trips to the hospital and we needed money to pay the taxi. I didn't know what to do, but I- I took some money from the till at work.'

Rachel had moved closer to Evie by this point and was rubbing slow circles on her back. The girl was barely holding back her tears but the worst thing was the look of pure hatred on her face. As if reading Rachel's mind, Evie spoke again.

'I really hate myself for what I did. I hate myself. There's no excuse. It was disgusting. But I got caught and my dad told the police I'd been a problem for years. The school had already told them all about the stealing and the truanting. And then dad went and made up all this stuff about how I was abusive to him and mum.'

Rachel flashed Kim a warning glance. The woman's face had twisted into an expression of disgust.

'Evie,' she said, her voice low. 'I want you to stop blaming yourself right now. None of this is your fault.'

Rachel nodded in agreement. 'It will not affect what happens today. You just concentrate on telling the truth.'

A rap on the door stopped the conversation. Kim made her way over and showed the two policemen in, offering them a seat and cup of tea.

'Can I just nip to the loo before we start?' Evie asked.

Rachel nodded. 'Of course.'

Evie didn't wait to be told twice, hurrying out and along the corridor to the toilets. She barely registered the other students milling around, or the curious looks she was attracting in Kim's oversized clothes. She barged into a cubicle, her frantic hands searching for the bottle she'd retrieved from the plant pot at Kim's. There was no way she could get through the next few hours without it.

When she emerged, she glanced in the mirror and locked eyes with Aleesha, who was carefully applying another layer of mascara to her long lashes, mouth open in concentration.

'Evie,' she gasped. 'Are you okay? What's going on? What happened with Mason? Why are you wearing those clothes?'

Evie sighed. She knew she was going to have to face her friends sooner or later. These were the best friends she'd ever had. Maybe- maybe their support would actually help.

'I- I don't have time to explain properly, Leesh. The police are waiting for me in Miss Mason's office.' she said.

Aleesha looked horrifed. 'Is this about the broken window?!'

Evie gave a watery smile. 'No, babe. Look- you can't tell anyone. Not even Danielle. Not yet. When they hear, it needs to come from me.'

Aleesha nodded in response, her large brown eyes as round as saucers. 'I promise.'

Evie sighed. There was no easy way to say it, no way of phrasing it that would soften the words.

'My dad's been abusive. It started when my mum got ill. He drinks and loses control of himself and- well, he takes things out on me. It's not safe to be around him anymore.' she said, the words tasting bitter in her mouth.

Aleesha floundered for the right words, realised there were none and settled for pulling Evie in for a hug. They stayed like that for a few minutes.

'You're doing the right thing, babe. I can't imagine how hard it must be.' Aleesha whispered into Evie's hair, trying to put the love and pride she felt into her words.

Finally, Evie pulled away. 'I'd better get back, I've been ages,' she said reluctantly.

Arm in arm, they left the toilets, preoccupied in their own thoughts. Neither of them had managed to notice that the end cubicle was occupied, or that someone had been silently listening to the whole thing.


End file.
